JLI Podcast #19 – Justice League International #19 (Nov 1988)

May 13, 2018

Professional comic book writer David Gallaher (The Only Living Boy, High Moon, Convergence Green Lantern Corps, and much more) joins The Irredeemable Shag to discuss Justice League International #19 (Nov 1988)! The one true Guy Gardner is back, and it’s time for a beat-down with Lobo! Then new members join the JLI! Plus David and Shag cover what was on the shelves that same month, recap and discuss the JLI issue, and tackle YOUR listener feedback!

Alright, now that you guys finally reviewed the actual issue, I was finally able to finish this episode. Great show guys. Shag, decent job as usual. David, fantastic. You did fantastic.

And I never looked at DC Legends of Tomorrow as a form of JLI, but now that you mention it, it does make sense (doesn’t make me like the way their treat Atom and Firestorm any better), but it makes sense.

As far as Batman not being on the monitor, since he quit back in Suicide Squad 13 (I think that was the first time), I’m not surprised they replaced him with Lobo.

Keep up the great work… and stay out of the Embassy’s sub-sub-sub-sub basement… I’d hate to be discovered again….

I’m intrigued to learn of David Gallaher’s fondness for Old Time Radio. I, too, greatly enjoy OTR, and have listened to the entire Blue Beetle series. Of course, radio’s Dan Garret (one-t) was rather different than the later versions of the character published by Charlton and DC (with two ts), let alone Ted Kord. I was surprised to learn that Gallaher also wrote the comic for Box 13 (another OTR staple), which I saw a free preview of on Comixology some years ago, and noted that the protagonist’s name was retained from the Box 13 radio series, but I otherwise found little connection, and so I didn’t pursue further at the time. Spurred on by this podcast, I’ve since purchased the entire series, and look forward to reading it.

Yes, new Bwa-Ha-Ha Podcast! Great show, great issue, great guest host (the regular host is also super-cool, don’t worry)! On the subject of the guest host, though; it may have been said elsewhere before, but I want to David for cementing the Legends of Tomorrow and JLI connection! Now I know why I’ve warmed up to LoT so much, even though I’ve officially stopped watching all of the other CW DC shows. Also, “Only Living Boy” just jumped onto my “to read” list big time. And, finally: I have shared David’s love of Guy Gardner and his frustration with fandom’s general lack of sympathy for Guy’s tragic treatment over the years for quite some time now. Okay, wow, that’s a long comment! Bye!

I loved it when Batman interacted with his old JLA teammates. He treated them completely differently than he did the JLI crew, as if all those back issues of JLA, B&B, etc. happened, which always made me smile. I LOVED this version of the Hawks, and it made me even sadder when all of this was thrown out the window due to continuity BS.

I’m not a big fan of this cover. Because it made me almost miss the issue. If I recall correctly, this one came out a bit early, less than four weeks after the last, and when scanning the racks at my local comic book store I scanned right over it, thinking I’d already picked that issue up. Had to go back for it late after I realized my mistake.

Anyhow, it’s always important to remember that these two aren’t the actual Katar and Shayera Hol, but rather a pair of psychopathic Thanagarian spies sent to infiltrate Earth. Who picked cover identities even though nobody on Earth would have recognized their real names. And picked those two names for their cover, and just randomly happened to pretend to be married. Even though the actual Katar and Shayera had neither done much of note nor even met each other yet.

Cover: Lobo is a shade of pale blue on both the #18 and #19 covers. I’m tempted to say it’s the lighting, but I’m not sure I care that much. Maybe this colour is just how Lobo looks when he flushes (when he’s about to wail on Guy on the cover of #18) and blushes (when he’s embarassed that the tables are turned and restored Guy is about to return the beating on the cover of #19)?
Do I win a No Prize?

It’s sad to see Maguire leave the book, after a simply stellar run. The first few pages of this book feel like genuinely dynamic action; Lobo exploding out of the window, and Guy flying out after him, evading Beetle’s clutches. Guy crashing into the lamppost and Lobo smashing into a car below. It has the feel of a knock down, drag out fight between two crazy powerful, angry characters who are dangerously out of control, and who will stop at nothing to win the battle (with hair-pulling?!).

Loving the Fire/Ice/Booster/Beetle scenes; this must be one of the first times we see the evolving dynamic between these four, and – for me – this interplay defines this particular era of the JLI, along with the Guy and Ice relationship, the first flickering of which we also see for the first time in this issue.

I like how Batman’s cape & cowl is inked to be all black, all the time, even in full daylight. The lower edge of the cape seems to have acquired some amazing fringe detailing on page 8 and page 13 – more like a fancy ballgown than a crime-fighting costume.
Speaking of dark inking, I also like how Maguire & Rubenstein portray Captain Atom with dark rings around his eyes – I don’t think this detail is always included in the Captain’s “look”, but it adds a depth to his reflective metal face that I prefer.

Not only does this issue feel like it’s moving the series into a new phase (setting up new character dynamics as well as the departure of Maguire), it is chock full of great “Bwah Ha Ha” moments; I’d give honorable mentions to Beetle’s “I’ve got him! I’ve got him!… No I don’t” as he fails to stop Guy flying out of the window, and G’nort’s suggestion that Dimitri explain the destruction of his original Rocket Red suit by lying.

Irish Embassy calling and I’m in a foul mood! Lobo just smashed through the Irish Embassy wall and the debris gave me a concussion that has unleashed my inner rage. No more Mr. Nice Irish Embassy!!! I’m here to tell you the unvarnished truth about the so called “Irredeeemable Shagg ” and here it is…..

DOINK!!!!!!

Ouch, sorry, Guy Gardner just flew past me and walloped my head with a GL construct. HE muttered something about “This will be better for you in the long run” and disappeared. Now I have an aching head and have no idea what I was talking about before? Hmm, must be the latest issue of the JLI Podcast:

Another great show by Shagg and a great turn by David Gallaher in the guest host seat. I remembered the Convergence Green Lantern Corps as a fun read and his enthusiasm for Guy as a character is fun to see. Through the character spotlight, I think we have to agree with Shagg – Hal Jordan is the worst! I think Guy was the person you love to hate in the JLI run but Guy actually came out best when Chuck Dixon and Beau Smith took over writing the character in his own title. Chuck Dixon’s Year One tale is a great Guy origin and revealed a person that struggled through a lot to become the hero that he would eventually come.

JLI 19 was a nice “take a breath” issue before the upcoming Apokolips storyline. Some great humour with the recruitment drive. I do remember Mrs. West turning down Blue Turkey, er I mean Beetle and Booster was subsequently played up a few issues later in the Flash series when Wally had been kicked out of his apartment. I agree with Shagg that this interpretation of the Hawks is very good – too bad they ended up being Thangarian spies instead of the real Hawks!

With this being Maguire’s last regular episode, I was wondering if anyone know why he left? As far as I recall, he didn’t do too much post JLI apart from a Captain America mini-series?

Looking forward to the team’s infiltration of Apokolips in the next episode.

Belive or not the brazilians editions of JLI are better because they translate the jokes to our context wich makes so funny. by the way the BWAHAHA Award should be the pulling the hair joke. i aways find the JLI a bunch of jerks for treating nice guy bad (he had amenisia) but was the moment when guy fights lobo and live to tell the history that makes me like the caracter

Thanks for another terrific show, good guest hosting from David and charming chairing, as ever, from the Irredeemably Cuddly Shag. I enjoyed this issue a lot, the quieter issues are my favourites – those Day in the Life issues that Avengers and New Teen Titans did so well around 1980. I do disagree that giving Lobo his own series made him less fun, for me, that’s when he really blossomed as a character. Anyone still got their Dangly Lobo from that one Superman cover?

Am I the only one who isn’t…. nah, I’ll save it for a future conversation.

I enjoyed David trying to push Shag into revealing his favourite JLI member, and Shag being suitably slippery. If only David had a push power…

Well done, Shag, for roping in another comics pro! It’s too bad David is off base about Gardner. He’s a jerk, and Hal Jordan is getting a bum rap! I think that Kari Limbo had some kind of mind powers beyond her advertised “clairvoyance.” She was able to manipulate both Guy and Hal into doing just what she wanted! Stay away, Hal! She’s trouble I tells ya! (Or maybe it was Denny O’Neill who manipulated them). Later, didn’t Guy just dump Kari Limbo? “Thanks for taking care of me when I was brain-dead, but I saw you trying to have your own life when you thought that I was really dead, so scram!” Hell, even Hal took Carol back after she was a super-villain. The first time.

Issue #19 was lots of fun, and so was this podcast. David and Shag discussed all of my favorite moments. Well done, guys! (Hmm, “guys” or “Guys”?) A few of the best ones:
* Guy telling Lobo “yer mother eats Alpo!”
* The Hawks. Oh, if only Giffen-DeMatteis had written a series for them. So much potential for this take on the couple. What could have been.
* “Blue Turkey”.
* Guy asleep in Booster’s force field bubble. My take was Guy got so angry, he just didn’t think to make ring constructs. Because… that’s Guy! Not the brightest bulb.
* Oberon talking to Dinah. Gosh, I thought it was obvious that this was a result of Longbow Hunters. I see David’s point that Dinah was making excuses, but more because she was hurting emotionally and didn’t want to explain her situation, losing her canary cry. Boy, this page made it so real for me. “Dinah’s not coming back. ” Big emotion.
* Yes, it still bugs me that Blue Beetle wasn’t on the JLI roster screen. Come on, Helfer!!

I must take issue with saying goodbye to Maguire with this issue. He has a mere 2 month break, and returns for issues 22-24. That’s when I say he finishes being the regular penciller. So cut it out! He’s not an ex-penciller yet! (X-Penciller? Um, no.)